The non-governmental organization Fair Elections (ISFED) is urging the ruling Georgian Dream party not to support the abolition of voting opportunities for Georgian citizens living abroad. The organization issued a special statement after Georgian Dream announced plans to remove out-of-country voting from the new edition of the Election Code.
ISFED says in a modern, highly mobile world, stripping citizens abroad of the right to participate in elections is “a step against inclusive democracy” and fundamentally undermines the principle of universal suffrage.
The organization also notes that in the 2024 parliamentary elections, Georgian Dream received only around 13% of votes cast at polling stations abroad, compared to 54% nationwide, according to the Central Election Commission.
ISFED criticizes the ruling party for pushing major electoral changes through an “exclusive and non-consultative process” without involving relevant stakeholders, experts or civil society. According to the statement, such decisions have become common since the 2024 elections and appear “tailored to narrow partisan interests.”
The NGO highlights that international standards overwhelmingly support voting rights for citizens living abroad.
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A 2005 Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly resolution stresses that electoral rights are the foundation of democratic legitimacy and must evolve toward greater inclusivity.
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The Parliamentary Assembly recommends that member states allow and facilitate voting abroad in national elections.
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The Venice Commission also encourages states to adopt a positive approach toward diaspora voting, noting its importance for national and European citizenship.
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According to International IDEA, more than 150 countries allow their citizens to vote abroad, including almost all Council of Europe members. Many states are expanding—not restricting—external voting, through in-person, postal or electronic systems.
ISFED argues that Georgian Dream’s move runs counter to these global and European trends. “The abolition of the possibility for Georgian citizens to vote abroad contradicts good international practice and clearly gives the impression that this step, taken against the principle of universal suffrage, is dictated solely by narrow partisan interests,” the statement reads.
The organization calls on the ruling party to reverse course and instead expand, rather than restrict, opportunities for citizens abroad to participate in elections.
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